Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-01
THE RAILROAD RECORD.
Gallatin Valley, Greatly Interested In
the BOzeman and Butte Short
Line Project, Watching
the Engineers.
Supt. Dawson, Of the Montana Union,
and Marcus DAILY Report on
the Mullan Tunnel
High Water.
Boseman and Butte Short Line.

BoReman and Butte Short Line.
BozEMAN, NJ. T., May 29.-[Correspond-
ence of The Miner. THE engineers OF the
Boxeman and Butte Short Line reached
Bozeman from the West to-day, crossing
through the suburbs OF the city less than
half a mile to the north OF Main street,
and on through in the direction OF the
Trout creek coal fields. The driver OF the
Virginia City and Bozenan stage line re-
ports graders at work in Madison Canyon,
q few miles from Red Bluff. There is con-
siderable excitement here, and realities have
assumed
AN UPWARD TENDENCY.
ARRANGEMENTS are being made to form a
stock company to build the finest hotel in
the Territory. Our wealthy and pushing
men have taken the matter in hand, and it
will be pushed as fast as money and men
can build it. 1t is understood that the
building will occupy a convenient and
prominent corner, no expense being spared
to make it first-class in every particular; 1T
is' also understood that the designs will be
of modern architecture and credit to any
city.
THE BOOM.
Parties are investigating with view OF
sinking an oil we'll in the near vicinity OF
Bozeman, experienced persons, long resi-
dents of the coal regions of Pennsylvania.
claim that the geological surroundings
are extremely favorable, and propose to
back their judgment with the necessary
means to make the experiment. The nat.
ural gas problem is also in the hands OF
some of our public spirited citizens, who
are generally sound in their undertakings.
It has long been considered almost certain
by geologists and practical coal men that
coal seams existed within q few hundred
feet of the surface in the vicinity of Boze-
man, and several times in the last few
years experiments have been on this point
of being made.
Condition Of the Tunnel.
A telegram from Superintendent Dawson
stated that he would arrive in town from
the scene of the disaster at the Mullan tun-
mel last evening close on to midnight, and a
representative of The MINER was on hand
to intercept Mr.. Dawson as he alighted at
his residence about midnight to get all the
news about the extent OF the disaster.
Come up to my room and I'll tell you
intendent, who looked tired enough to
want to go to bed and not be bothered
with reporters. When he had partly re-
lieved himself of the stain of travel he con-
tinued: "Mr. DAILY and . left here tuis
morning at 10 o'c'ocs by spec;.- with
t.entys1 .. @ ye p ST. t9 tAs aEat tpnEns anEs5
miners and myself
WENT INTO THE TUNNEL WITH CANDLES
and two lamps. The place was pitch dark,
of course, and the leak from the surface
was so heavy that I was thoroughly
drenched. We went, imagine. about half
way through to where the fall of rock was.
The tunnel is about twenty-five feet high
but the darkness was so intense l could
not see the roof, although held my lamp
as high as could. The debris has fallen
down from q space, I was informed. about
hundred feet in length. and the fallen
rubbish extends in a slope about another
hundred feet down the tunnel. Weclimbed
up this fallen dirt to where the men are
building scaffoldipg against the roof to pre-
vent any more debris falling, and the risk
ran I had no idea OF until Mr.. DAILY
told me OF it afterwards. 1t is impossible
to form any estimate how far above the
roof of the tunnel this loose debris extends.
It is a thousand feet from the roof Of the
tunnel to the top of the mountain and it
may extend any distance up.
THE STUFF THAT HAS FALLEN DOWN
is so soft that 1 crumbled it in my hand
like soap. 1t is so soft that wonder some
accident fatal to hundreds of lives has not
occurred. The men at work on the break
are working at both ends OF it, about a
hundred feet apart. We ran great risk in
doing as we did, and might have been
fenced in at any moment. I should think
there about hundred men at work there
now. Mr.. DAILY, who is an experienced
miner, of course, and knows what he is
saying, took in the situation, and his opin-
ion is that if it is as represented to him, he
thinks the obstruction will be removed and
the dangerous part timbered ready for
traffic to be resumed in a week. Mind, L
don't say thatit will be all right in week;
but if it is as represented, Mr.. DAILY says,
through
TRAFFIC CAN BE RESUMED
in that time. They are now transferring
freight and passengers about two miles,
having employed all the wagons and car
riages available. OF course with great
transcontinental line like the Northera
Pacific a few days blockade produces an
enormous accumulation of freight and live
stock, which is there yet on both sides OF
the tunnel. The accumulation at Garrison
is all gone. Tomorrow we don't run the
Helena express; only the local train in the
morning. But on Wednesday We will re-
sumo the running of the Helena express
regularly and make transfer at the tunnel
A bridge was washed away at Avon but
our bridge gang fixed that to-day. | un-
derstand there was another washout at
Bearmouth but it, too, is fixed. The
waters are regular torrent between Gar
rison and Mullan, but there is no danger
of any more track being washed away.
They put lot of riprap under the
Avon bridge and put in two bents
and it is all safe. l know the
washout at Bearmouth is fixed, because
they started the through train west to-
night. You can tell the people that Mile.
Rhea and her troupe got off safely for
Portland, leaving Garrison at o'clock.
THE MONTANA UNION.
With regard to the Montana Union, l
ca q GcIl you UIlStU Uuc WcCCA do odtAi0 10
very high, and really felt alarmed for the
safety of the track. We worked hard there
all dayf with the rest OF my men. We
put in twenty cars of rock, and have got a
watchman on the spot to look out for the
least indication of danger. II the water
doesn't get any higher we will pull through
all right. but if it should l don't know
what will become of US. The ditch and
river are carrying all they can now."
WHY THE SWAN BROTHERS FAILED.
Effects Of the Allen Land Law Upon
Their Efforts to Make q Sale.
OMAHA. Neb., special.-The Hon. Nor
ton E. Post. Of Cheyenne, ex-Delegate in
Congress from Wyoming. arrived here from
New York this morning. He has been
there since last November. and it is sus-
.,,>% Al <hof h;a huaineaa has been cOinci-